SERIN input formatting

deans · 2012-01-02 05:37

I am trying to split serial input into different variables.
From the reference I can not decipher how to do this correctly.

I would like to send a text followed by a number that determines the number of characters of the text.

eg. Hello 5

I thought I would do it like this:

Hello*_5

storing Hello into serStr and 5 into lim, using code along these lines:

SERIN 16, 16468, [STR serStr\"*", WAIT("_"), DEC2 lim]

But this is not working, why?

Also, I dont like having to use the WAIT command, is there another way to do this?

Best wishes
Dean

Mike Green · 2012-01-02 07:19

DEC2 requires that there be 2 characters, each containing a digit and your example only provides a single digit. There's a description of the various "formatters" in one of the appendices of the BASIC Stamp Syntax and Reference Manual (in the Stamp Editor's help files). DEC automatically skips any non-digit characters, allows an arbitrary number of digits in the number, then stops after reading the first non-digit character after the number. You could use:

SERIN 16, 16468, [STR serStr\"*", DEC lim]

to read:

Hello*5,

where "," could be any non-digit delimiter

deans · 2012-01-02 08:20

Dear Mike,

Thank you for your input. I have tried your code. Unfortunately, for some reason it does not work as intended.

I then also tried:

' {$STAMP BS2}
' {$PBASIC 2.5}

lim VAR BYTE
serStr VAR BYTE(20)

SERIN 16, 16468, [DEC lim, STR serStr\lim]

DEBUG "lim: ", DEC lim, CR
DEBUG "serStr: ", STR serStr, CR

Again, it does not work (DEBUG output):

6,FISH
lim: 6
serStr: ,Tj֙

Mike Green · 2012-01-02 08:52

Note that you need to include the maximum length of the input string in the STR clause like this:

SERIN 16, 16468, [DEC lim, STR serStr\19\"*"]

Note that the length has to allow for a zero byte at the end. Sorry I didn't mention this earlier.

deans · 2012-01-02 14:33

Still no luck!
When I do a simple STR read with SERIN everything works fine. I can then execute the rest of the code and do LOOKUP and LOOKDOWN.
The simple separation of a number and text into different variables fails with all suggested solutions so far...

Best

Dean

Unsoundcode · 2012-01-02 15:14

Hi deans, Mikes example works so the problem lies in how you are transmitting the data or how you are interpereting the data you have received.

Assuming you are using Mikes example the best way to display your string would be like this

SERIN 16, 16468, [DEC lim, STR serStr\19\"*"]
DEBUG DEC lim," ", STR serStr \ lim

That's assuming the value lim matches the number of characters sent, 6 and FISH might not work but 7 and FISHING will.

If that doesn't do it we need to see an example of how the data is transmitted and the program you are using.

Jeff T.

deans · 2012-01-04 12:38

Dear Jeff,

I have no doubt, that both of you know what you are talking about.

If you could help me to figure out the communication problem I would be very glad!

I am using mac os x. With a PL2303 driver compatible usb to serial converter.
Currently I am using the goSerial.app, since I could not yet figure out how to use minicom to send a string of carracters on minicom (the setup worked, I can receive data but just dont know how to send).

I sure hope the PL2303 drive is not the problem? It is the original one, I think from sourceforge.

For communication with the bs2 homework board, I use the MacBS2 software.

How could we go about deciphering the problem I have?

Best

Dean

Unsoundcode · 2012-01-04 13:00

Hi deans, DEBUGIN and DEBUG out are actually serial communications between your BS2 and the Pbasic IDE on your computer. So a simple test of communications would be to use those commands instead of SERIN.

Try this just to make sure it works, here's the main part of the code

DEBUGIN DEC lim, STR serStr\19\"*"
DEBUG DEC lim," ", STR serStr \ lim

Now from the Pbasic DEBUG terminal type in something like 5deans*

I'm sure you will have this solved pretty soon, let us know if that test works.

Jeff T.

deans · 2012-01-04 13:37

Dear Jeff,

the MacBS2 doesn't have a debug window like Parallax's Basic IDE for Windows.

I can only receive on MacBS2, not send...

Sincerely

Dean

Mike Green · 2012-01-04 14:18

The BS2 sometimes will work at 9600 Baud and sometime it won't and occasionally will drop received characters, particularly when processing complex parameters like STR. How about slowing things down to 2400 Baud by using 16780 instead of the 16468 that you're using. You'll need to change goSerial's Baud to match and the DEBUG statements won't work because they're fixed at 9600 Baud. You can use SEROUT statements instead like

SEROUT 16, 16780, ["lim: ", DEC lim, CR]

deans · 2012-01-05 13:12

Dear Mike,

That was it. At 2400 it works like a charm!

Thank you.

Sincerely
Dean

victorga74 · 2013-01-05 12:47

Dear Mike

I'm new on this topic and I'm trying to activated 16 relays one at a time using a serin and keyboard.I'will like to knwo if it is possible using a letters,for example to activate P0 with a letter "A",P1 with letter "B"...............

regards

Victor

victorga74 · 2013-01-05 12:54

Mike

I'm using this code found in internet ,but it only activate 10 relay, so I'w like to activate 16
' {$STAMP BS2}
' {$PBASIC 2.5}

caracter VAR Byte

Principal:
DEBUG 2,1,1,"Select one [0 - 9]", CR
SERIN 16, 16468, [DEC1 caracter]
BRANCH caracter,[P0, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8, P9]
DEBUG CLS

DEBUG 2,1,2,"No one select"
PAUSE 1500
DEBUG CLS

P0:
DEBUG 2,2,4,
HIGH %000000000
LOW %000000001
LOW %000000010
LOW %000000011
LOW %000000100
LOW %000000101
LOW %000000110
LOW %000000111
GOTO Principal

P1:
DEBUG 2,2,4,
LOW %000000000
HIGH %000000001
LOW %000000010
LOW %000000011
LOW %000000100
LOW %000000101
LOW %000000110
LOW %000000111
GOTO Principal

P2:
DEBUG 2,2,4,
LOW %000000000
LOW %000000001
HIGH %000000010
LOW %000000011
LOW %000000100
LOW %000000101
LOW %000000110
LOW %000000111
GOTO Principal

P3:
DEBUG 2,2,4,
LOW %000000000
LOW %000000001
LOW %000000010
HIGH %000000011
LOW %000000100
LOW %000000101
LOW %000000110
LOW %000000111
GOTO Principal

P4:
DEBUG 2,2,4,
LOW %000000000
LOW %000000001
LOW %000000010
LOW %000000011
HIGH %000000100
LOW %000000101
LOW %000000110
LOW %000000111
GOTO Principal

P5:
DEBUG 2,2,4,
LOW %000000000
LOW %000000001
LOW %000000010
LOW %000000011
LOW %000000100
HIGH %000000101
LOW %000000110
LOW %000000111
GOTO Principal

P6:
DEBUG 2,2,4,
LOW %000000000
LOW %000000001
LOW %000000010
LOW %000000011
LOW %000000100
LOW %000000101
HIGH %000000110
LOW %000000111
GOTO Principal

P7:
DEBUG 2,2,4,
LOW %000000000
LOW %000000001
LOW %000000010
LOW %000000011
LOW %000000100
LOW %000000101
LOW %000000110
HIGH %000000111
GOTO Principal

P8:
DEBUG 2,2,4,
LOW %000000000
LOW %000000001
LOW %000000010
LOW %000000011
LOW %000000100
LOW %000000101
LOW %000000110
LOW %000000111
LOW %000001000
GOTO Principal

P9:
DEBUG 2,2,4,
HIGH %000000000
LOW %000000001
LOW %000000010
LOW %000000011
LOW %000000100
LOW %000000101
LOW %000000110
LOW %000000111
HIGH %000001000
GOTO Principal
Thanks.
Victor

Mike Green · 2013-01-06 07:06

Next time, start your own thread. It's considered bad form to hijack someone else's thread with a minimally related question. I just happened to have looked at this thread and would have missed your question completely.

The program you posted only requests a single digit (SERIN 16, 16468, [DEC1 caracter]), so it only allows for 0-9. If you want to allow bigger numbers, you can use DEC instead of DEC1 or you could use DEC2 and require two digits all the time. If you use DEC, you have to put some kind of delimiter after the number when you enter the number. This could be a carriage return or space or comma or almost any non-digit character. Read the description of the SERIN statement and the "formatters" (in Appendix C) in the BASIC Stamp Syntax and Reference Manual for details.

You could also use HEX1 instead of DEC1 and this would allow the use of 16 "digits" (0-9 and A-F or a-f)

Tracy Allen · 2013-01-06 10:00

You could alternatively use the letters, "A" through "P":

SERIN 16, 16468, [caracter]   ' -- A is ascii $41
BRANCH caracter-$41,[P0, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8, P9]
DEBUG "error if here"

SERIN input formatting

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